China vs Russia: Annual number of objects launched into space
China
374 objects
in 2025
Russia
89 objects
in 2025
China rank
2nd
Russia rank
3rd
Annual number of objects launched into space over time
- China
- Russia
How they compare
China currently reports 374 objects against 89 objects in Russia, a difference of 285 objects.
That makes China's figure about 4.2 times Russia's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 50 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Russia ahead.
China ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 3rd of 50 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Russia in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.5 objects | 105.33 objects | 103.83 objects | Russia |
| 1980s | 2.12 objects | 116.5 objects | 114.38 objects | Russia |
| 1990s | 4.6 objects | 51.4 objects | 46.8 objects | Russia |
| 2000s | 8.4 objects | 21.7 objects | 13.3 objects | Russia |
| 2010s | 38.8 objects | 25.4 objects | 13.4 objects | China |
| 2020s | 202.5 objects | 57.83 objects | 144.67 objects | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual number of objects launched into space, China or Russia?
- China, at 374 objects against 89 objects in Russia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in annual number of objects launched into space between China and Russia?
- 285 objects, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Russia?
- 50 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do China and Russia rank globally for annual number of objects launched into space?
- China ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 3rd of 50 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Annual number of objects launched into space. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual number of satellites, probes, landers, crewed spacecrafts, and space station flight elements, launched into Earth orbit or beyond.